Fancy Mills

The Assemble HR Consulting team doesn't just bring people together, they curate conversations that push thinking forward. This morning wasn't another AI hype session or fear-mongering panel. It was practical, provocative, and deeply human. This morning, along with the team at Compete, they "assembled" a group of visionary leaders exploring the evolving intersection of leadership and artificial intelligence and I for one walked away with a completely different perspective on what's coming. The questions that stayed with me: 🎯 Is AI just another tool for leadership or will it replace us? 🎯 How do we lead teams when AI handles tasks we used to promote people for mastering? 🎯 Where does human judgment become irreplaceable versus replaceable? The real value - being in a room with leaders wrestling with the same questions, sharing real struggles and strategies together rather than just consuming content. This is what happens when you bring together people who aren't afraid to admit they don't have all the answers yet. The future of leadership isn't about having AI strategies figured out, it's about creating spaces where honest exploration happens with people who challenge your thinking. Thank you to Jill Katz, Amit Rapaport and the Assemble and Compete teams for creating an experience that was genuinely thought-provoking, not just thought-leading. What's the hardest leadership question AI is forcing you to rethink? #Leadership #FutureofWork #PeopleLeaders

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Here’s how I estimate time for an eLearning development project. I wrote recently that a typical instructional design and development eLearning project in a tool like Storyline is usually 10 to 12 weeks for us. https://lnkd.in/erT_92mt That’s my starting calendar for a project plan, but the actual time needed (and therefore the weeks) can vary wildly. Some projects we’re doing in mere days. Some we’re working on for multiple months. So, this is a little deeper dive into how I approach that estimating. The four main factors I consider when quoting a project are: 1️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭. Has the front-end analysis work been done? Does the content already exist? How complete and stable is it? Does it provide actionable steps for the learner? 2️⃣ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐭𝐲 is driven by the learning objective and relates to what the end product might be. Has it already been designed and we are simply production or are we performing the whole project? What level is needed and how much effort will it take to build? 3️⃣ 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 relates to how my team will need to work the project in order to meet the request. Is it a typical timeline or a rush? Is there an available SME to answer questions and how responsive will this person be? 4️⃣ 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 comes from our PM tool. As I scope, I try to find similarities with previous work. Then, I run reports on those past projects and see how much time we spent. My team and I will take those numbers and debate it, such as this project went well because we had a great SME or that one went off the rails because the content kept changing. All of this helps us hone in on what the new project might be like. Try to build in some contingency. I’ll also sometimes take our own historical time spent and cross-reference it with data from the L&D industry. My three favorites to reference are: Bryan Chapman, How Long Does it Take to Create Learning? Despite this PowerPoint being 15 years old, the time estimates are still really strong. https://lnkd.in/eTbC-KgU Robyn A. D., How Long Does It Take to Develop Training? New Question, New Answers. I don’t agree with the numbers in this 2020 ATD survey quite as much, and they used a variety of course lengths, but still good info. https://lnkd.in/ef8gVSeQ Christy Tucker, Time Estimates for eLearning Development. This 2019 post walks through Christy's thought process for estimating hours on a big project. https://lnkd.in/ex6_ykQ7 I hope this info is helpful to you. My biggest advice is to track your time spent and build formulas based on that and industry resources like the links I’ve included. What other steps do you take when estimating an eLearning project?

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One theme that continues to come up in our research conversations at 3Sixty Insights is that manager enablement is shifting from a training conversation to a system design conversation. Nicole Roberts, SHRM-CP, PHR, CMHR’ recent Analyst Insight captures this transition clearly. Organizations are not struggling because they lack leadership content. They are struggling because managers often lack the operational support, workflow integration, and feedback mechanisms required to consistently practice effective management. The discussion with Jeff Smith, PhD at 15Five reinforces an important point for HR and People leaders. Manager effectiveness improves when expectations, coaching, and performance feedback are embedded into the rhythm of work. AI is accelerating this shift by making guidance and reinforcement more accessible in real time. Manager enablement is becoming a structural priority for HR system design, not just a leadership development initiative.

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💭 Let’s talk real leadership for a minute… In my Organizational Change & Leadership class at Baylor School of Education EdD Online, I’ve been digging into Adaptive Leadership through the lens of Northouse (2022)—and whew, it’s been a gut check. This framework pushes leaders to show up in the gray, not when everything is clear, but when the path forward is messy, emotional, and uncertain. Sound familiar? 🛑 You can’t solve adaptive challenges with technical solutions. ✅ You have to help people do the deep, internal work that sparks transformation. Here are the 4 components of Adaptive Leadership that stood out most: 🔹 Get on the Balcony – Step back to see the full picture. Leadership requires perspective, not just presence. 🔹 Identify the Adaptive Challenge – Don’t just treat the symptoms. Dig into what’s really going on beneath the surface. 🔹 Regulate Distress – Change is hard. Leaders must manage the heat—enough to activate, not so much to overwhelm. 🔹 Give the Work Back – Leadership isn’t about doing it all. Empower others to own the process and stretch into growth. Now let’s make it real: 👉🏽 Which of these four pushes you the most? 👉🏽 What’s one adaptive challenge you’re working through—or helping someone else navigate? Drop it in the comments. Let’s grow through this together. Because leadership isn’t just strategy—it’s soul work. 👇🏽 #AdaptiveLeadership #PeterNorthouse #OrganizationalChange #LeadershipDevelopment #leadersaremadenotborn Reference: Northouse, P. G. (2022). Leadership: Theory and practice (9th ed.). Sage Publications.

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HR Professionals: Machine Leadership is hosting SHRM and HRCI Recertification Training focusing on AI Fundamentals for HR Leaders. Courses are taught using 'live' online facilitation and are eligible for 2 to 16 SHRM and HRCI recertification credits. Participants will review the latest AI tools and use cases, review AI adoption models, and receive toolkits for how to present data to executives and leverage AI to drive productivity. Two Courses: ✅ Presenting Data to Executives ✅ Principles of Machine Leadership Schedule: 🗓️ September 23 and 24 (5:30pm or 8:30am options - 2 hours) 🗓️ October 7, 14, and 21 (6:00pm - 2 hours over three weeks) ℹ️ To learn more and watch a sample chapter, please visit: https://lnkd.in/eBJnWDbX #MachineLeadership #AILeadership #SHRM #HRCI #DataAnalysis #AIAdoption #AIStrategy #GPHR #SPHR #PHR #AIFundamentals Rachit Birdi Shelbie Jackson-Bowling Dean Van Decker Jr Kouame N. Jesse M. Lapierre Dr. Samantha J. Horseman Amy Simpson, MFA, EdD Marlin Medina, ALM Mariya Gavrilova Aguilar, Ph.D.,SHRM-SCP Karim Farrag, MSc, MBA Vojtěch Wolf Alvin Piket M. Douglas Killough Anuj Kathuria Ronnie Zachary Nganwa MSc PMP Dr JP Monck Jesse Treakle, PhD Nenuca Syquia Rami Busbait Jennifer McCrea Elaina Biffle, PMP

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CHROs: Hopefully, you're having the real strategic conversation with the ELT: The strategy for reducing costs through job reduction enabled by AI. We can lead this conversation through organization, operating model and job design, where we should be experts. Unfortunately, the AI conversation in HR seems dominated by tactical discussions about how to write AI prompts, inane thoughts about creating "superworkers" and working alongside AI "agents." CEOs are clear about how AI will impact the way work is done. We need to at least keep pace, and hopefully lead. https://lnkd.in/eQQiTapt

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When budgets tighten, only strategic L&D survives. It's not about more training—it’s about development that's mission-critical. Programs that align with real business goals, prove impact in business terms, and build tomorrow’s capabilities survive—and accelerate growth. Ready to shift from being seen as a cost center to becoming a business accelerator? Read more: https://lnkd.in/eFdNBaNP #StrategicLD #LearningThatMatters #BusinessImpact

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Guild started with Lightcast. A talent development company that connects employees to education and skilling programs, Guild works with businesses that want to invest in learning and development for their people. Guild makes sure that those outcomes are connected to overall organizational success. And they use Lightcast skills data to make that possible. Matthew J. Daniel discusses how those outcomes can also be intensely personal for the individuals whose lives are positively impacted by the new skills they gain and the opportunities that opens up to them.

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This is an interesting take from Government Executive on the use ( abuse?) of administrative leave. The idea that the use of administrative leave that we're seeing now violates congressional intent is not wrong from an HR perspective. Whether it is addressed is something else altogether. https://lnkd.in/gHFbsN3j

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